Monday, November 29, 2010

Punk apologetics

I just finished the book Is Belief in God Good, Bad, or Irrelevant? edited by Preston Jones.  A couple of thoughts have been tumbling in the dryer in the back of my skull since I've finished it.  

Preston Jones is a history professor at a Christian college.  He's also a fan of the punk band Bad Religion.  BA's lead singer, Greg Graffin, happens to have a PhD in zoology, and his dissertation discusses evolution, atheism and naturalism.  Jones sent Graffin an email that sparked a long discussion ranging over a lot of topics but centering on their two faiths:  Christianity and naturalism.

The book is a good read, although there's more relationship building than apologetics.  Jones in his introduction warns those who have studied apologetics that this will likely frustrate them.  It did.  That aside it was really good to see a Christian treat a skeptic with real respect.  Graffin deserves some real respect, too.  He's asking really good questions from a very solid standpoint (I think he overestimates the results of his research, but that's what dissertations are all about, isn't it?).

If you're in the mood for quirky approach to apologetics, check it out.  If you like BA's music, check it out.  If you want bullet points about apologetics or evidential discussions, skip this.

Friday, November 26, 2010

You are your ministry

My graduating seniors have to write and defend a practical theology.  It's a pretty big deal.  I'm doing this with the resonance from the National Youthworker's Conference in my head.  One of the constant themes of NYWC is that you are your ministry.  What makes up your spiritual DNA naturally (and appropriately) spins off into your ministry.

That means these practical theologies I'm working on are either worthless or invaluable.  Each of us has a practical theology, and the work we do in ministry is the largest evaluation of that theology.  What we do is our practical theology.  

These are worthless unless they really represent who these students are incarnate among their communities in ministry, and invaluable when they do just that.